There have been thousands and thousands of plays in the proud history of the NFL, but does “The Catch” stand above the rest? With the help of the 49ers Faithful, Dwight Clark’s iconic, last-minute touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship can be crowned as the greatest play in NFL history.

NFL.com recently unveiled it’s NFL Bracketology contest, which will begin with the first round of voting on Monday. Clark’s catch will compete against 63 other plays, including Steve Young’s epic 49-yard run against Minnesota and Terrell Owens’ playoff catch against Green Bay, in football’s version of March madness.

The rest of today’s Morning Tailgate rounds up the busy first day of free agency for the 49ers, including the Alex Smith and Anquan Boldin trades and other player movement.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com looked back at Smith’s eight-year career with the 49ers.

Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group took a retrospective look at Smith’s run with San Francisco.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle spotlighted Smith’s off-the-field contributions to the Bay Area.

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle listed the top 10 memorable moments of Smith’s career.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee examined the flurry of 49ers action on the first day of free agency.

Maiocco rounded up the action from Day 1 of 2013 free agency.

Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, Maiocco and Barrows discussed the departure of tight end Delanie Walker, who reportedly signed a contract with Tennessee on Tuesday.

Inman looked at the potential impact of Boldin on the 49ers offense.

Maiocco reported Isaac Sopoaga signed a free-agent contract with Philadelphia.

Maiocco also reported that DT Glenn Dorsey and DB Charles Woodson are scheduled to visit the 49ers.

Inman reported Dashon Goldson is set to visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Keep up to date with the free agency frenzy with 49ers.com’s Free Agency Tracker, which will be updated daily. The 49ers also announced the Smith trade and the Boldin trade while continuing the 49 in 49 pre-draft series with a look at Baylor WR Terrance Williams.

TV49′s CLIP OF THE DAY

TWEET ABOUT IT

Going to have to put my physical with the @49ers on a hold for a few days, we're busy in Senegal with @OxfamAmerica. http://t.co/gOypkFjEd3—
Anquan Boldin (@AnquanBoldin) March 13, 2013

The newest member of the 49ers is busy in Africa.

Free agency doesn’t begin until March 12, but that’s not stopping NFL scribes and pundits from looking at the best players soon to be available.

In the case of NFL.com’s Adam Schein, the most underrated free agents came into greater focus in a recent post. The respected columnist listed his top-nine underrated free agents with 49ers Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro safety Dashon Goldson coming in at No. 3.

Goldson, a two-time Pro Bowler in consecutive seasons, recorded nine tackles in Super Bowl XLVII. It’s hard to believe a first-team All-Pro would be underrated, but Schein believes the 49ers defensive star power covers up Goldson’s impact play. After the season concluded, Jim Harbaugh made it clear that the 49ers want their 28-year-old safety around long-term.

Schein believes that’s the right train of thought.

“Goldson was the San Francisco 49ers’ ‘franchise player’ last year, so chances are he won’t be slapped with the tag again, as that would force the Niners to shell out a gigantic one-year raise,” wrote Schein, who voted for Goldson to be a first-team All-Pro. “Goldson wants a long-term commitment from San Francisco, and he has earned it.”

Goldson’s situation will be one to monitor when free agency talk heats up in the coming weeks.

Colin Kaepernick recently attended the Cartoon Network’s Hall of Game Awards and conducted several red carpet interviews. The 49ers quarterback also had time to impersonate another popular internet meme with US Olympic star Mckayla Maroney.

Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes the Chargers should emulate the 49ers and Greg Roman’s offensive innovation.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee examines six of the top defensive linemen headed to the 2013 NFL Draft.

Matt Bowen of the National Football Post is eager to see how the quarterbacks perform at the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine.

Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com breaks down the combine quarterbacks with the most to gain in Indianapolis.

49ers Hall of Fame wide receiver Dwight Clark recently preached the importance of healthy eating to a local middle school.

49ers.com shared the best photos taken in 2012 by team photographer Terrell Lloyd.

TWEET ABOUT IT

Offseason…what offseason? There is no offseason! Day 2, getting better, boxing after lift #workwins #49ers #niners http://t.co/FfY4OwNX—
Chad Hall (@chadhall16) February 07, 2013

Work wins.

Members of the San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants competed at Pebble Beach Golf Links for charity on Tuesday in the Chevron Charity Shoot-out.

Dwight Clark, Brent Jones, Steve Bono and Harris Barton represented the 49ers, while Matt Cain, Mike Krukow, Will Clark, Dave Flemming, Bruce Bochy, Dave Righetti, J.T. Snow and Ryan Vogelsong played for the Giants. In all, the 49ers raised $45,000 for the 49ers Foundation, while the Giants raised $55,000 for the Giants Community Fund.

Click here to view a photo gallery of the 2013 event and click here to look back at last year’s shoot-out, which featured Jim Harbaugh and Jerry Rice.

Barton and Bono also raised $20,000 for Breakthrough and Narconon Drug Prevention & Education by winning the second hole of the five-hole shootout. The next three holes were halved on an alternate-shot format, but Snow and Vogelsong ultimately won the tie-breaking chip-off on No. 18 to earn $30,000 for Sun Street Centers.

The following charities were also awarded $1,000 each: Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Legal Services for Seniors, Monterey County Film Commission, Second Harvest Santa Cruz County, Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project.

[PHOTO: Dwight Clark donned a vintage 49ers helmet before hitting his drive from the tee on the first hole.]

[PHOTO: Brent Jones and Harris Barton enjoy the picturesque Pebble Beach Golf Links with a caddy.]

[PHOTO: Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow helps Giants pitcher Matt Cain line up a putt.]

[PHOTO: Steve Bono signs autographs for 49ers Faithful in attendance.]

[PHOTO: Dwight Clark and Steve Bono celebrate an awesome shot by Bono]

[PHOTO: Harris Barton tees off on No. 18.]

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL PHOTO GALLERY

The 49ers are back to the grind after a couple of extra days of rest to start the bye week. While San Francisco will be idle this weekend as it awaits to see who it will face the NFC Divisional Round, there will be a few notable young quarterbacks making their playoff debuts.

Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group noted how Colin Kaepernick and other rising stars under center like Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson will be leading their respective teams in the postseason for the first time.

“Come their Jan. 12, divisional-round opener at Candlestick Park, the 49ers will be ready to unleash Kaepernick, who’s coming off seven pressure-packed starts,” Inman wrote.

Today’s Morning Tailgate also takes a look at how the bye week will help the 49ers rest up for their potential playoff run.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the bye week will be especially beneficial for Aldon Smith.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee also examined the effect of the bye week for the 49ers.

Mike Sando of ESPN.com noted that Andy Lee was selected as the best NFL’s best punter by ESPN writers, researchers and data analysts.

Inman also passed along comments from Kaepernick’s visit with Jim Rome radio show on Wednesday.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com passed along a collection of advanced football stats from the 2012 49ers.

Branch looked at similar statistics between Michael Crabtree and Dwight Clark heading into the playoffs.

USA Today offered its top 10 Super Bowl possibilities and the 49ers are featured often throughout the list.

Kyle Bonagura of CBSSports.com looked ahead to the intriguing 2013 matchups on the 49ers schedule.

49ers.com compiled a 2012 Regular Season Review

TV49′s CLIP OF THE DAY

TWEET ABOUT IT

Hoping all my followers have a happy and healthy 2013!! Let's be great in 2013!—
Jerry Rice (@JerryRice) January 03, 2013

Happy New Years from the G.O.A.T.

All in the name of charity and competition, of course, members of the San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants will compete in a Charity Shoot-Out on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Alex Smith will participate in this year’s event, joining former 49ers Jerry Rice, Dwight Clark, Brent Jones and Harris Barton, who all participated in and won last year’s competition.

Tickets for the event are $20 in advance and can be purchased online at www.attpbgolf.com or by calling 800-541-9091. Tickets will also be sold at the gate for $30.

In conjunction with the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, this year’s shoot-out, which begins at 1:30 p.m. PT on hole No. 1, will see members of the 49ers and Giants compete in an alternate shot format.

The teams will play holes 1, 2, 3, 17 and 18, with each hole being worth $20,000. The event’s total purse of $100,000 will be split with half going to local charities in the Monterey area and the other half being split between the 49ers Foundation and the Giants Community Fund.

Representing the Giants this year will be broadcasters Mike Krukow and Dave Fleming as well as current All-Star pitcher Matt Cain and former first baseman Will Clark.

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, the home of “Authentic Bay Area Sports” and the official cable television home of the San Francisco 49ers, is set to kick off the 2011 NFL season with season long coverage that includes the region’s most comprehensive 49ers news and analysis, insider reports, and exclusive interviews with players, coaches and front office personnel.

Highlighting the network’s coverage is the addition of 49ers great Dwight Clark to 49ers Postgame Live, “The Official Postgame Show of the 49ers.”  Clark joins the new broadcast team of Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Dave Benz, along with Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Mindi Bach and CSNBayArea.com’s 49ers Insider Matt Maiocco reporting from the stadium.

A key member of two 49ers Super Bowl Champion teams, Dwight Clark is most remembered for “The Catch” against the Dallas Cowboys.  Drafted by Bill Walsh as the first pick of the 10th round, out of Clemson University in the 1979 NFL draft, Clark played for the 49ers from 1979-1987 where he had 506 receptions for 6,750 yards and 48 touchdowns.  He led the NFL in receptions (60) during the strike shortened 1982 season, and made the Pro Bowl twice, in 1981 and 1982.  After eight successful seasons with San Francisco, he retired after the 1987 NFL season. To honor Clark, the 49ers retired his number 87.  After retirement, Clark served as a team executive for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns.

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s line-up of 49ers and NFL related programming for the season:

49ers Postgame Live

49ers Postgame Live continues to be the leading destination for the Forty Niner Faithful, with comprehensive one-hour coverage featuring in-depth game analysis, locker room interviews and player reaction, full coverage of head coach Jim Harbaugh and key players’ press conferences and a preview of the following week’s game.  Following home games, Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Dave Benz and former 49er Dwight Clark will host 49ers Postgame Live from Candlestick Park.  After road games, the co-hosts will be based in the network’s studio in San Francisco.  Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Mindi Bach and CSNBayArea.com’s 49ers Insider Matt Maiocco will conduct player and coach interviews from the stadium.

49ers Press Conference Live

Hosted by Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Dave Benz with Eric Davis providing expert analysis, 49ers Press Conference Live presents coverage from coach Harbaugh’s weekly press conference from the 49ers practice facility in Santa Clara.  Benz and Davis will anchor the one-hour program from the Comcast SportsNet studios, and Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Mindi Bach and CSNBayArea.com’s 49ers Insider Matt Maiocco will report live from Santa Clara.

49ers Central

49ers Central, a half-hour show, is hosted by Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Dave Benz and features analysis from NFL veterans Eric Davis and Lorenzo Neal.  Every Wednesday throughout the 2011 NFL season, 49ers Central features interviews with players and coaches, examines the pivotal plays from the previous week’s game, and provides detailed analysis of the 49ers’ upcoming opponents.

49ers Total Access

49ers Total Access is your ticket for insider access to the San Francisco 49ers. Hosted by Joe Fonzi and Melissa Galvin, 49ers Total Access is an Emmy Award-winning show that delivers up close details from both on and off the field from each week’s 49ers game of the 2011 season.  Every Saturday during the 2011 season, the half-hour magazine-style show takes the viewer behind the scenes of the Bay Area’s most storied franchise, the San Francisco 49ers.

SportsNet Central

During the 2011 NFL season, tune into SportsNet Central for in-depth, comprehensive news coverage on the 49ers and the NFL, expert analysis, breaking local and national news, up-to-the-minute scores, the best local video highlights and daily insider reports.  SportsNet Central is the place for local fans to turn seven nights a week with half-hour newscasts at 6 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and midnight.

Chronicle Live

Hosted by veteran Bay Area sports announcer Greg Papa, Chronicle Live airs live Monday-Friday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and features high energy, interactive roundtable discussions and debates covering the hottest sports stories and topics on the minds of sports fans throughout Northern California.

CSNBayArea.com

CSNBayArea.com delivers comprehensive 24/7 49ers and NFL coverage and features 49ers Insider Matt Maiocco and Senior Insider Ray Ratto, commentator blogs, game-day e-mail alerts, fan message boards, and online video features so fans on the go can stay on top of the latest news and developments wherever and whenever they occur.  CSNBayArea.com is the most extensive local source for exclusive online video, including player and coach interviews, press conferences, and content from Comcast SportsNet’s signature shows SportsNet Central and Chronicle Live, which offer news and analysis from the region’s most informed local lineup of award-winning reporters, analysts and personalities.

Halftime Live on CSNBayArea.com

During every 49ers road game this season, Halftime Live – an online halftime show exclusively on CSNBayArea.com – will break down the first-half of the game and discuss the 49ers second-half adjustments.  Hosted by Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Dave Benz and former 49er Dwight Clark, Halftime Live kicks off on Sunday, September 25 during the 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals game.

2011 49ers Season Preview

Hosted by Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Dave Benz, 2011 49ers Season Preview – debuting Sunday, August 28 at 4:30 p.m. – presents a comprehensive breakdown of the upcoming season and features analysis from NFL veterans Eric Davis and Lorenzo Neal, CSNBayArea.com’s 49ers Insider Matt Maiocco and Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter Mindi Bach.

Headlining the half-hour program will be head coach Jim Harbaugh as he shares his thoughts and expectations for the upcoming season, the team’s quarterback position and implementing new offensive and defensive schemes.  QB Alex Smith, TE Vernon Davis, RB Frank Gore and WR Braylon Edwards discuss the team’s new offensive philosophy. On the defensive side of the ball, four-time Pro Bowl LB Patrick Willis, DT Justin Smith, S Dashon Goldson, and newly acquired S Donte Whitner break down the team’s new defensive scheme.

After the August 28 (4:30 p.m.) debut, 2011 49ers Season Preview replays later that evening at 10 p.m., August 31 at 4 p.m., September 1 at 4 p.m. and September 4 at 8 p.m.  For additional air dates and times and information on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s 49ers programming, visit CSNBayArea.com.

I spent Tuesday afternoon walking five holes at Pebble Beach with a camera and a cell phone (to Tweet of course) with several football and baseball stars from the 49ers and Giants.

It was all for a good cause of course. The goal of yesterday’s Google Charity Shootout was to raise money for the 49ers Foundation and the Giants Community Fund.  I was there to report on the event for 49ers.com and share the uniqueness of the event.

The 49ers team boasted a combined 11 Super Bowl rings between them while the Giants squad came to the tee with glistening 2010 World Series rings to their credit.

And while both sides were competing for a good cause, it didn’t take very long for things to go from charitable to competitive.

When Cody Ross’ tee shot sliced badly to the right on the opening hole, Jerry Rice was the first to rub it in, waving his hands to the side and saying that it would be, “playable…on the third hole.”

The 49ers teams of Rice/Brent Jones and Dwight Clark/Harris Barton got off to a great start, winning the first four holes. While all of the 49ers players are very good golfers in their own right, the clutch shots made were certainly reminiscent of the key plays they made at Candlestick Park.

Alternating shots on the second hole, Barton needed to rally to catch up with the Giants after Clark’s second shot found a home in a deep bunker.

“Can I get a line?” Barton asked, not able to see the green with the fairway several feet over his head.

Once he aimed correctly, Barton’s shot bounced on the right side of the green and rolled just left of the pin.

When the Giants’ Matt Cain launched a monster drive on the 18th and tossed his driver as if he’d hit a home run, Rice calmly walked to the tee and outdrove Cain by 10 yards.

“Take that,” Rice exclaimed as he turned and pointed at the Giants pitcher.

It was the same way Rice would have responded after an interception by Deion Sanders – he knew that he would get him on the next one.

While Rice hasn’t played since 2005, Barton since ’98, Jones since ’97 and Clark since ’87, each rose to the occasion when it mattered most.

The setting may have been Pebble Beach rather than Cowboys Stadium, but the results were the same. There is a reason that all these players were champions on the football field and it showed on one of the most picturesque golf courses in the country.

In the end, the football players won four out of five holes, raising $40,000 for the 49ers Foundation.  Cain managed to win the final hole on a chip-off after the 18th hole was halved.

That’s right, no ties…it was all settled in overtime (or extra innings).

Speaking on a conference call with national football writers on Wednesday, NFL Network analyst Michael Lombardi answered a number of questions on the different draft scenarios for  NFL teams. Lombardi was a great source of information as he has spent over 22 years in the league working in various personnel departments. Of the five clubs he’s worked for, Lombardi spent time with the 49ers in the 80s working under legendary Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh.

Twenty minutes into the call, Lombardi shared this fascinating story in how Jerry Rice became the No. 16 overall selection in the 1985 NFL Draft:

“I was fortunate enough to be in the draft room when we selected (Jerry). Coach Walsh called me in his office about three months before the draft. Actually, back in November, we were playing the Houston Oilers in Houston and he called me to his hotel suite on the Saturday night before the game and I thought I was in trouble which wouldn’t be out of the norm. He called me in his room and said, ‘Who is this kid on the TV-set I’m watching? He’s incredible! Can you get me every tape on this guy? And I said, ‘Sure coach, that’s Jerry Rice. I’ll see what I can do.’

“And at this time, we were on 16-milimeter tape which was expensive and hard to find, especially for the smaller schools, they held on to those tapes like gold. So I went back to San Francisco, got three tapes and gave them to Coach Walsh. He watched them and I had to send them back out. It took a lot of nerve for me to ask him questions, my hands still sweat when I think of him. I said, ‘Coach, I have to send those tapes back out, would you mind if I get them off your desk? And he said, ‘Sure, go up and get them, you can send them out.’ So I went up there and he had a little note attached to them, and in his left-handed handwriting he had, ‘John Jefferson… with speed.’ That’s how he described Jerry Rice.

“When we got into the draft, we had plans to possibly select Eddie Brown. We thought he’d be the guy who would come to us. With Jerry, we moved up from 28 to 16. We traded our first, second and third-round picks to the New England Patriots and we ended up getting their first and third-round picks for that trade. When we got to 16 we thought we’d get at least one of the receivers and maybe we’d get Brown. Then, we were on the phone with the Cincinnati Bengals trying to work out a trade with them, and they decided to take Brown. Coach handed me the phone and said, ‘Don’t worry about it; we’ll just pick Jerry Rice.’

“What we had to do was sweat out the Kansas City Chiefs who were picking at 15, and they ended up picking Ethan Horton, the running back from North Carolina. Then we picked Jerry. We went out to practice that following week for our first minicamp and Dwight Clark came off the field and said, ‘Smooth and rich.’ Those were his comments and I think he’s been proven correct.”

On Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24 at 8:00 PM ET with an encore at 10:00 PM PT, NFL Network will televise for the first time since its original airing one of the most historic playoff games in league history, as NFL Classic Games encores the 1981 NFC Championship Game between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.

In a matchup of teams with the best regular-season records in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Dallas Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship Game on January 10, 1982. In one of the most iconic plays in NFL history, San Francisco receiver Dwight Clark caught the game winning six-yard scoring pass from Joe Montana with 51 seconds remaining as the 49ers won 28-27. It was the sixth and final lead change in this back-and-forth game.

The 49ers won Super Bowl XVI two weeks later. It was the first of San Francisco’s four Super Bowl titles in the 1980s.

This NFL Classic Games telecast features the complete CBS broadcast with announcers Vin Scully and Hank Stram calling the action along with all of the network’s original graphics.